Observe:

I want to thank you for your patience today while we figured this out. I really appreciate it!

Thanks,

Alyssa

Not bad, right?

How about this?

Hi Joe!

I’m so glad that worked, and that everything is running smoothly now. Let me know if anything else goes wrong!

I really want to thank you for sticking it out with me today so we could figure this out. You’ve been so awesome to work with.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Alyssa

Really, there’s nothing wrong with the first one at all. But the second one is just…a little better.

It’s all about the last impression.

Before you sign off, find the thing that makes this conversation unique. In the example above, I took what might have been a long and difficult day of work and turned it into a positive, thanking the customer for “sticking it out.” In this context, it’s clear that the customer is the one who has been inconvenienced—not me. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to fix it for them.

You can also make it even a little more personal. If you know something about the customer, use it. This doesn’t mean you need to come off like a creepy stalker and go digging for things to talk about. But if the conversation has been at all personal before this point, it’s totally ok to use what the customer gives you.

The Friendly Customer

Some people are talkers. You know this. Sometimes, in the midst of a support conversation, a personal detail will pop up. The customer mentions she’s in California. Or that he’s on his way to his son’s soccer game after work. Some customers won’t do this, of course. But some will, and if they do, don’t let the opportunity pass!

Ask her to get some sun for you. Wish his little soccer star luck. It shows that you were listening, that you’re in tune not just with the problem, but with the person.

The All-Business Customer

More often, probably, you’ll get nothing much from your customer. That’s ok, too. Don’t push it or stretch for a connection that’s not there. Even if you don’t have personal details to utilize, everybody can appreciate being thanked, sincerely and thoughtfully, or wished a pleasant evening or weekend.

Whoever your customer is, talker or not, the important thing is that you recognize them. Acknowledge them as individuals and people with unique personalities and histories, and when you say goodbye, say goodbye to the person—not just the work.